Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba led the education stakeholders in planting 3,000 trees at Siala Technical Training Institute (TTI) in Rongo Sub County.
The tree planting exercise which also involved the surrounding community aimed to boost the Ministry’s target of planting 35 million trees annually.
Ogamba said that so far the Ministry of Education has planted 30 million trees across the nation to help the country realise President William Ruto’s 15 billion tree planting target for the next 10 years.
He thanked the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) for their wonderful coordination with MOE in ensuring successful tree-planting exercises in various institutions across the country.
On education matters, Ogamba said that the Ministry will ensure credible examination exercise as the form four and grade six students prepare to do their national examinations late October.
He said that this year Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) papers will be customized; where the candidates’ examination details names, index numbers and other personal details will be pre-printed on the papers to curb exam cheating and exam irregularities.
On the issue of the new University funding model, Ogamba disclosed that already the task force in place is establishing some of the challenges that will be addressed to iron out issues raised on the fund model.
The CS also affirmed that the construction of grade nine classes was ongoing countrywide in readiness for the learners next year.
“We will be using laboratories and some of the classrooms from high schools especially where primary schools neighbours with secondary schools in solving grade nine classroom shortage,” said Ogamba.
Ogamba added that the ministry will continue targeting youth aged between 15-25 years to enroll in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETs), TTIs and colleges to help them get the necessary skills that will enable them to seek job opportunities both within and outside the country.
“We have 3.5 million youth aged between 15-25 years who are not in any education programme with the majority being jobless. As a ministry want to ensure that they are enrolled in our county TTIs to ensure they get skills that will propel them in the job markets,” explained Ogamba.
By Geoffrey Makokha
